The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-03-20
CALIFORNIA WINES.
Fiue Claret and Other Brands To Come
from the Golden State.


from the Golden State.
Mr., Ben Z. Truman, the welknown journal.
ist who has been for years u resident of tina,
STATE Is writing series OF interesting letters 10
the New York Timas about the wines of Cali
forna. He speaks OF visiting the winery in
Napa County of Mr. II. W. Crabb, whose agent,
our contributor Of "(irape and Wine Chat" IL
Mr. J. PohudoriT, Of 527 Eleventh street, and
says his burgundy is probably the best made
In the State. Mr., Truman also writes:
"Duripg the past few days ] have met mud
talked with number Of the most progressive
and Intelligent wine-makers in the State, nota-
bly, II. W. Crabb, Maj. Scheflier, the Hon. N.
NJ. Es,cs. Capt, II. W. Mcintyre, and Jacob
Schram, Of Napa, and j, H. Drummond. Of
Sacramento, and they are of the opinion that
this portion of the State is the place par eJ-
s,NeAc, where the conditions of soil aud a,inos-
phere are most like those Of the light, dry
claret-making districts Of France, ana Mat all
that is now required 10 not only successfully
compete with but 10 actually excel Bordeaux
wines is TO cultivate the line wine grapes grown
there and 10 acquire aknowiedgeof, ,he processes
Of blending praciiced IN that country, and
many claim that they are now making wines
from the cuttings carefully selected from healthy
Bordeaux varieties enumerated abOve,) and
that they have brought cellarmen and other ex-
perts rgh, from famous French vineyards
which, by the way, Is fact, Indeed, there are
already exJuisitely blended elare,s In many n
cellar In Napa County, laid away In great tanks
store'hOuses, which are being permitted 10 age
properly III n temperature that only varies from
81 10 81 aud which will not be offered for sale
for year or two 10 come. And when these
presumably 'rare California wines are put into
bottles aud offered for sale shall I've greatly
mistaken II their virtues do moi revOluti0nize
the character of American clarets throughout
wins-lrinking countries ON both continents. OF
cOursc ! want II understood that none Of thste
| Forthcoming wines are from any one Crane --
/ huy ufst t1Ip a n nf
those rare varieties of grapes which hays once
| or twice alluded 10, which is the custom en.
/ tlrely In the productions Of the crack wines Of
I France, such as Chateau MHrgauN, Chateau
MUutou Ruthsclild, and Chateau l.atOur-the
purchase of single bottle of either Of which
al any nrst-class hotel or restaurant IN ihs land
makes hvc-dpllar piece look silly.
I "FOr instance, Cabernet sauylgnun, which Is
everywhere recognized ah Infinitely the he-i
grape that grows for clarcts, may he blended
I with Cabeine, Franc, or Merlo,, or some Other
grape less characteristic for lis yinos,v There
may he four or five blends " necessary to Sc
cure an aggregation OF body, 'Annin, color
bouquet, aud aroma, The consumer wants al
, ot these Without body there would be no ex
hilaratOn' water would be immensely superior
the tannn IL nuirtiyc and regulating; the com
mUnes' clarctdrinker as well as the most cri,lca
one delhduds color, and this IL the most M
fortunate item of all for this same 'imagnar,
dcsiderAiIl' more than oil other things fore,
Inhuy producers. according to their standing
" Introduce either cherry Juice, which Is ex
peDsiye but harmless, or aniline dyes, which
nfe not expensive but are poisonous, Into thel
clarets 10 give them the superb color which
truly good, properly aged red wine should pos
sess; the bouquet IL the soul Of the wine, o
course, while au agreeable aroma upiailingll
imparts delicious sensation. The grapes rl
ferred 10 are shy tearers, and only ayerag
iroiu two 10 two and half tons 10 the acre II
Nappa County, which Is considered goo,
crop Bu, the superiority Of The qualit %
these highest types Of bordeaux grapes vii
soon show that they are more profitable than
second-class grape which will produce twice u
many tons per acre--at least 80 many yitlcul
turlsts declare. One owner said To me only yes
ierday that he would rather pay $50 ion, on
contract 10 do II for i've yeara, for Cabene
he has large vineyards Of the latter, neverh,
I lessn